*Unpolished* 1960s Clebar-Zodiac Chronograph (Ref. 73623 / 852 883) "Made By Heuer" W/ Box

Zodiac made several sports models in the 50s-60s and were direct competitors to Rolex, Blancpain, and Tudor, but are often looked over as they don't receive the same clout as the aforementioned companies. Keeping this in mind, Zodiac is one of the more undervalued Swiss timepiece companies to come from this "golden era" of sports watches. From there, Zodiac went on to produce countless other quality sport and dress models that to this day remain at an affordable price point, but still carry the colorful Zodiac charm.

Nicknamed the "poor man's Heuer Carrera," The Zodiac 73623 or 852 883 is actually a rebranded Heuer model of the same reference, and bears a close resemblance to the Carrera of the late 1960s. Heuer actually produced several chronographs for different brands, including Zodiac, and although the ref. 73623 was a more economical offering; it uses the workhorse Valjoux cal. 7736 movement and excels at providing a stylish mid-century chronograph aesthetic.

In regard to the Clebar branding, the name itself dates back to 1925, when it was most frequently associated with stopwatches and rally timers. However, during the 1960s, Clebar and Zodiac became intertwined, and there were numerous watches with Zodiac-branded cases and movements that were fitted with Clebar-branded dials for distribution in various markets.